Starting Over Again
by Joy Blue
Summary: After five years, Chloe Sullivan has moved on. When the latest threat to Metropolis and the world arrives, Chloe has no choice but to face the past.
1. Chapter 1

Starting Over Again (Chlark AU) PG13

Author: Joy

Warnings: Spoilers up to season 8, including the 'discussions' surrounding the last scene between Clark and Chloe, especially on what Chloe did before the scne ended!

Summary: After five years, Chloe Sullivan has moved on. When the latest threat to Metropolis and the world arrives, Chloe has no choice but to face the past.

Starting Over Again 1/?

If someone told Chloe Sullivan she was going to be happy giving up journalism and her quest for a Pulitzer, she would've suggested  
that person to have her head examined. But as Chloe finished packing the picnic basket, she knew that she was different from the girl that was the  
editor of the Torch, the Daily Planet Reporter, and Watchtower. She briefly gazed at the photo of the man that she loved, and she knew it didn't matter  
how many years had gone, the guilt will always remain.

"Mama! Mama! I'm ready!"

The source of Chloe's joy ran up to her, and Chloe couldn't help but smile at the enthusiastic boy that was practically jumping in excitement.

"You cleaned your room?"

She was answered with a nod as her son wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm ready now!" His blue eyes sparkled, as he practically dragged his mother to the door.

"Okay, let me just call your Aunt Lois, ok? I want to make sure she doesn't forget about this weekend"

Her son shook his head. "No, mama! Aunt Lois will just talk and talk, and we'll never be able to go!"

"James, I promise... I'll stop your Aunt Lois in five minutes, ok?"

"Cross your heart?"

Chloe kissed her son on the forehead. "Cross my heart."

As James watched his mama make the call, he walked towards the window and looked at the sky, and immediately panicked.  
The sky was gray, and as he opened the window, he could feel the beginning of a rain storm. He looked back at his mom, and  
back at the sky. Tomorrow would be his first day at school; he wouldn't be a little boy anymore, but a young man. This was his  
last day with his mama as her little boy.

"Please, please don't rain! Please! I want to go to the park with my mama! Please!" The young boy whispered fiercely as he  
heard his mama say good bye to his Aunt Lois. He knew, just knew that the moment his mama looks at the sky, they wouldn't  
be able to go to their picnic. "Please!"

Almost as if by magic, he watched as the gray skies disappear, and the sun shined in the sky so bright, he couldn't believe his eyes.

"Ready, James?"

"I'm ready mama!"

James decided to keep this magic a secret and smiled as his mama held his hands as they walked out of the house, ready to enjoy their day  
at the park.

_*_*_*

_James Lucas Sullivan_

James traced the name with his hands as he looked in awe at the bag his Aunt Lois sent him. She may talk a lot, but he loves her so much.  
Not as much as his mama, but he loves her because she always makes his mama smile, and she gives the best presents ever.

"Hey, punk."

He looked up and just to see an older boy standing in front of him. James didn't say anything, but was suddenly wary as the boy eyed his bag.

"Nice bag."

"Thanks..." he replied cautiously as he gripped the bag tighter.

"It's simple. You give me that bag; I don't beat you to a pulp. Get it?"

"It's mine."

"It's mine now, not like you have your name on it."

James made a mistake of showing his name stitched on the bag. "Yes it is!"

The next thing he knew, the bag was pried out of his hands, and he was shoved hard from his seat that he fell. Everyone else in the play  
ground just looked, and James felt his anger rise as the boy opened his bag and dropped the contents of it to the ground. He quickly stood  
up and tried to get the bag away from the boy, only to be pushed back down again.

"That's mine!"

"Like I said, it's mine now!" The older boy laughed as he walked away, leaving James alone, his hands bruised and his clothes dirty from his  
fall to the ground. He carefully picked up his things, and was surprised when one of the teachers walked up to him and started to help him.

"Its okay, James. We'll get your bag back. Are you hurt?"

James shook his head and the teacher took his hands gently and breathed a sigh of relief when he looked at the dirty, but uninjured hands  
of the boy. "Come on, James. We'll get you cleaned up."

James just nodded, and was relieved that the teacher didn't know his secret. His mama said that he's special. He could never get hurt for long  
periods of time. It was his secret, like Uncle Bart had a secret.

He never realised that there was someone who saw his secret, standing far away, hidden by the trees outside the school.

That night, Chloe watched her son sleep, grateful that he was okay. Upset was an understatement when she heard what happened at the  
playground. Her son assured her that he was fine, that his magic made the hurt go away, and no one saw.

For all her mistakes, somewhere along the line, she must have done something right to be blessed with such a gift. "Your father would be  
so proud of you..." she whispered, her gaze drifted to Jimmy's picture on the night stand. She tried to stop the tears as she remembered  
that last time she was with Jimmy. When he finally understood all the secrecy and her loyalty to Clark. They were supposed to be happy. _Instead_...

She stopped as she stood up, and kissed her son on the forehead. She didn't want to think about her stupidity, her betrayal that took Jimmy  
away from her. She knew, in some way, she was attracted to Davis, Braniac infection or not, there was something that drew her to Davis. She  
truly wanted to save him, and Clark. In some level, there was something about Davis that reminded her of Clark, and she wanted to save them  
both. Except that all her intentions went straight to hell.

She kept her bedroom door open. She was glad Lois came back, with no memory of what happened, Lois could only tell her that the last thing  
she remembered was fighting with Tess Mercer, next thing she knew, she was in Metropolis Hospital. Without Lois, she didn't know how she could've survived.  
Her phone rang, and she answered it quickly, not wanting to wake James up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Chloeliccious!"

Chloe smiled at the voice. Bart was another blessing in her life. He was the only one that looked for her and stayed. "Bart, how was your trip?"

"Excellent! Just wanted to know if I can take JL up to the carnival here in Santa Monica. I Promise to be good and to watch out for the little man!"

"You can take him on Friday. School just started..."

"No problem... you're welcome to come along, of course."

"Maybe next time, Lois is coming by to stay for the weekend."

"Okay. Tell JL I've got a wicked cool surprise for him, got to go, I spy with my eye a pretty..."

Chloe laughed and decided to cut Bart off. "Have fun, Bart. I'll see you this Friday."

With the call finished, she placed the phone on her night stand and sighed. It's been years since she had contact with anyone from the League.  
Most of them were always in the paper. Oliver being the billionaire he was, AC with his arrest record because of his protests. None of them have  
tried to contact her, and with what occurred the last time they were together, she couldn't really blame them.

She's got James now, and that's all that matters.

_*_*_

Inside the Daily Planet, Lois Lane sighed. There was still so much more she had to do, but her brain has apparently gone on strike. She saw  
movement from the corner of her eye, and she felt her jaw clench at the sight of Tess Mercer who looked at her with so much superiority that  
she wanted to wipe it off with a right hook.

For one odd reason, they both made a silent commitment not to talk about that fight all those years ago. While Tess didn't exactly make her life as  
a reporter a living hell, it was those looks she kept on giving. Like Tess knew something that she didn't. She looked at the mess on her desk, devoid  
of any personal memorabilia, and it was just gut instinct that kept her from displaying a picture of Chloe and James on her desk.

Her phone rang, and she picked it up absently as she stared at her computer screen. "Lois Lane, Daily Planet."

"I need to speak with you."

Even without identifying himself, Lois recognised the voice immediately. "Why did you call me?"

Why the Green Arrow would want to talk to her, she didn't know.

"I need to see you."

"I don't want to see you."

"Meet me at the back of Francesco's Deli."

Lois rolled her eyes as she took a pen and started to tap it against the desk. "I don't think so, don't you have some goons to beat up..."

"It's about Chloe Sullivan."

At the mention of her cousin's name, Lois immediately sat up straighter. "What the hell do you want?" she hissed, not wanting to be heard.

"Meet me at the back of the Deli, I'll explain later."

With that, the Green Arrow ended the call, and Lois shut her phone and quickly gathered her things. She walked towards the elevator, her heart  
beating a hundred miles per hour. What could the Green Arrow want to talk about regarding Chloe? She walked out of the building and headed  
towards the meeting place, as her hands fisted on the mace she carried in her jacket pocket. She reached the back of the deli in five minutes,  
and nearly jumped when the Green Arrow practically appeared out of nowhere on his bike.

"Okay, I'm here. What the hell do you want with my cousin?"

"I need you to send a message."

Lois took a deep breath, and closed her eyes before she spoke. "You scared the hell out of me, just so I can pass on a message? Are you crazy?  
And no! I won't pass a message. Why would you be sending her anything?"

She could tell that the masked vigilante in front of her was choosing his words carefully. "She may not listen to me. But she will listen to you."

"And why would she be listening to... wait a minute, were you ever in contact with Chloe from before?" When he didn't say anything, her temper snapped.

"Are you the one responsible for all the crap she had to go through?"

"She made her own choices!"

Even with his voice disguised, there was no mistake in the anger within it.

"Yeah, buddy. She did. What I want to know is how you're connected to those choices she made!"

Oliver Queen knew this was a mistake. But he had no other options. Bart wouldn't talk to him. His speed made it impossible to track him down.  
He didn't know how well Chloe would receive his, or any of the others presence, and Clark Kent was still MIA; Lois was his only chance to get  
the message across.

"If you care about your cousin and your nephew, you will take this message to her."

All her protective instinct went to overdrive at the mention of James. "If you think I'm going to play messenger without knowing why..."

"Davis Bloome is alive."

That completely shut Lois up. Oliver saw the confusion, fear, and then anger at his words. Before she could say anything, Oliver cut her off again.

"I... I have reason to believe that he's alive. He may or may not go after Chloe. But I won't take that chance. Tell her to be careful. The League  
will be there, but she needs to remember what happened the last time she made her own decision."

Without waiting for a reply, the Green Arrow drove off, leaving a confused Lois Lane behind.

_*_*_*

In the darkest room of the mansion, the man once known as Davis Bloome grinned as he read the latest report. It was time to come out of the  
darkness, and spread havoc and destruction, just as his parents wanted him to. And he wasn't going to deny his destiny any longer. His mind  
drifted to a blond woman who needed to pay.

A twisted smile formed on his lips. There were so many ways to make her pay, and he would make sure she did.

End Chapter...

Please, please review! I don't know if that gesture Chloe did means she's pregnant or not, but for the sake of this fic... she was!


	2. Chapter 2

Starting Over Again 3/?

The classroom was quiet for a change, and Chloe Sullivan looked at her students as they completed their English exam. She looked at the  
various different expressions around the room. Boredom, fear, and for some, excitement. Her gaze drifted to the clock on the wall and reminded  
her students they have ten minutes left.

There were groans and sighs, and Chloe just chuckled quietly as she heard her phone vibrate on the table. She picked it up and looked in surprise  
at the text message from Lois.

_I'm outside the school. Meet me here NOW!_

She shook her head and replied, letting her cousin know she'd be there in fifteen, after the exam was over. Lois didn't reply, but knowing her cousin,  
she'd be in big trouble if she didn't show up on time.

Soon enough, the bell rang, and the students stood up and one by one handed their papers to her.

"Since I'm sure you ALL studied for this, I'm giving you guys a break. You don't need to finish the chapter for  
Wuthering Heights until next Friday, meaning your chapter summaries should be in my Monday next week..."

Her announcement was greeted with cheers, and she waved her students good bye. Quickly putting the test papers in her bag,  
she made her way to the parking lot where she knew Lois was waiting. Her cousin didn't even wait for her to greet her when Lois spoke.

"What's your connection to the Green Arrow?"

Her question took Chloe by complete surprise.

"What? Lois... I...."

Lois sighed. "Please don't tell me you don't know. I'm already missing six months of my life doing who knows what somewhere.  
So don't, Chloe. Just don't."

She didn't know how to explain this to Lois. "I can't..."

"Chloe! The man sought me out! The Green Arrow. And it wasn't like he wanted to see how I was doing; he had a message  
for you. From him and from some league."

The blond woman tried to take a deep breath at what Lois told her. When it looked like she wasn't going to say anything, Lois continued on.

"What league? Why did it sound like you were in contact from before?"

"Lois, I'm sorry. I really, really am... but I can't."

Lois just nodded her head. "Can't or won't?"

"I... really... It was in the past, Lois. It belonged to a time that I don't want to revisit. I... whatever I did with the Green Arrow or this league that  
he was talking about, it's in the past. Buried. I can't talk about it, and I just want to forget everything from that time..."

When Chloe took a deep breath, Lois felt guilty. She could see Chloe trying to control the tears, and Lois just sighed and pulled her cousin in her  
embrace.

"Chloe, I'm sorry, okay? I just wanted to know how he could possibly be connected to you. Why he would send me as a messenger..."

"What's this message, anyway?"

Chloe felt Lois stiffen at her question; she pulled away and looked at her cousin. "Lois?"

Lois took a deep breath and held Chloe's hands in her own. "Davis Bloome is alive."

"No... no... that's not possible." Chloe said softly as she tried to pull away. "Jimmy... Jimmy killed him to save my life. I saw him..."

The world around Chloe started to spin, and she barely heard Lois cry out in panic as the world turned black.

*_*_*

When she opened her eyes, Chloe stared at her bedroom ceiling for a few seconds, before she remembered what happened. She almost sat up, when  
she felt someone beside her. She looked and saw her son cuddled next to her.

"You okay, Chloe?"

Chloe looked up and saw a worried Lois near the doorway. She gently untangled herself from her son and covered him with blankets. When she reached Lois,  
her cousin hugged her and they both walked away quietly.

"I'm sorry Chloe. I just... I didn't know how else to break the news."

They both walked to the kitchen and Lois reached for her hands. "How are you feeling?"

Chloe just shrugged and tried to clear her throat. "Are you sure? Are you sure that's what he said?"

Lois nodded. "He said, and I quote: 'He had reasons to believe that he's alive.' He mentioned that this league will be around..."

Chloe looked at Lois before she closed her eyes. "What else, Lois?"

Lois chose her next words carefully. "He said just to be careful."

Chloe let the lie pass; she had a feeling what Oliver really meant. She looked upstairs to the bedroom and felt her heart beat in panic. What if he came  
for James? There was no denying what Davis would've done to her if Jimmy hadn't saved her.

"It's my fault, Lois. I screwed up..."

"Hey, we all screw up..."

Chloe gave a dry laugh. "I don't think anyone could compete since I was the reason Jimmy died and Clark going AWOL and everything else in between."

Lois could see how much Chloe wanted to stay in control when a loud knock interrupted them. She looked at the window and saw Bart Allen waving, but  
instead of the usual cheeky expression, it was one of worry. Chloe opened the door, and Bart immediately embraced Chloe. What worried Lois was that  
it wasn't the usual happy, teasing hug that the young man gave. Even with his whispers, Lois could've sworn he heard Bart mention the word 'arrow'.

The reporter in Lois knew something was up. There was something going on that Chloe wasn't going to share. She wasn't going to push Chloe for answers  
because she knew that Chloe would be upset, Bart Allen on the other hand was going to have to face Daily Planet's best reporter.

Unknown to the occupants in the house, a figure stayed hidden in the shadows, listening to the whispered conversation between Bart and Chloe. The figure  
closed his eyes and listened as Chloe's heart beat slowed down to normal, appeased by the presence of Bart and Lois. Satisfied that she was fine, the figure  
disappeared into the night sky, with one destination in mind. Washington.

Less than five minutes later, Martha Kent looked in surprise at her son who landed quietly in her balcony. She ushered her son inside and greeted him with a  
hug and a kiss. "When are you going to let them see you, Clark?"

"I don't know."

Her son walked in with her, and Martha sighed. She didn't need super powers to know her son was confused on what his next step would be.

"Davis Bloome is alive."

Martha looked in fear at the name. "Doomsday?"

Clark shook his head. "I don't know. I'm going to have to see the Green Arrow. I need to know if he somehow managed to fuse himself  
with the monster again."

"And Chloe?"

At his mother's question, Clark felt a small tug in his heart. When he returned almost a year ago, he told his mother everything. After apologising  
for leaving with just a note, he told her everything. Lana, the Justice League, Davis Bloome and Doomsday, and Jimmy..."

"She's safe, for now."

Martha held her son's face with her hands, and Clark welcomed the warmth his mother provided.

"You can't stay hidden from them, Clark." She said softly. "They need you. If he is Doomsday again, the world will need you, Clark. Isn't what those  
years in the fortress and travelling were about?"

Clark held his mother's hands and kissed her on the forehead. "I don't know if I'll ever be ready for what Jor-El wants me to do."

Martha shook her head. "You were always doing what you were meant to do. Whatever happened in the past Clark, it wasn't your fault. Not your's,  
not Chloe's. You can't be held responsible for other people's actions."

She could feel her son disagreeing with her. Clark had always felt his power meant that he had the responsibility for saving, for protecting everyone.

"I know what to do now, mom. I won't make the same mistakes anymore." His words reminded him of his last conversation with Chloe. To be the hero  
he needed to be...

Martha could almost read his mind. She knew it was pointless to convince Clark that his humanity was never a hindrance for him to become a hero.

"You should just rest; think of what you need to do next."

"I need to see Arrow. If he is back, then I need to be ready."

With another kiss on her forehead, Clark disappeared in a blur, and Martha Kent could only sigh. She walked back to her table and looked through  
her schedule for the week. Seeing a few extra days, Martha shifted through the various leaflets on her table and picked the one she needed. She  
dialled a number on her phone and gave a smile when her call was answered.

"Kelly, hi. I'm sorry to bother you so late, but I need you to arrange something for me in Sacramento... yes, about the school tours. I'd like to visit  
Blue Creek High. Thank you so much, Kelly."

If this Davis Bloome or this Doomsday monster was back, she was determined to be next to Chloe Sullivan's side. She was five years too late,  
but she wanted to be there for the young woman who was almost a daughter to her. This time, she was going to make sure Chloe wouldn't be alone any longer.

_*_*

Back in Sacramento, Bart watched as Chloe and Lois tried to pretend everything was normal with James around. The little boy ate his pasta with gusto,  
and told his mother and his aunt about his day at school.

He allowed his mind to drift to his conversation with Oliver Queen, who cornered him at work, where he couldn't run. Literally. His boss was more than  
happy to let his employee go to speak with the billionaire.

"_Look man, like you said. There's no more league, we've said what we needed to say ages ago..."_

"_You've kept in contact with Chloe, right?"_

_Bart glared at his onetime boss and friend. "You got a problem with that?"_

"_I've tried Lois, I don't know how well that conversation went, but I need you to let Chloe know that Davis is back."_

_Bart shook his head. "Davis? Davis Bloome? That's not possible. He's not even Doomsday anymore."_

_Oliver pulled a few pictures out of his pocket. "This was taken via satellite. It's the Luthor grounds in Scotland. I've been having Tess Mercer f  
ollowed by satellite for years now, and this is the first time I got a hit."_

_Bart looked at the pictures, and was amazed at the clarity of the pictures, as if it was an actual camera that took the pictures a few metres away and not  
a satellite image. True enough, there was a man who looked like Davis Bloome in the pictures._

"_What's that on his back?"_

_Oliver shook his head. "I don't know what it means, I haven't seen it anywhere and Victor can't come up with anything either."_

"_Did you show Lois this?"_

"_Of course not! I can't..."_

_Bart shook his head. "Are you insane? So you just dropped the bomb on Lois saying Davis Bloome is alive and..."_

"_I went to her as the Green Arrow!"_

"_And you don't think that she's going to be hammering Chloe with questions? What were you thinking?"_

"_I wasn't! I was worried!" Oliver snapped as he looked at the young man before him. Gone was the Bart Allen he once knew. There was a maturity in t  
he man he was speaking with now that wasn't there before. "I was worried for Chloe, okay? We all know he was obsessed with her."_

_Bart snorted. "Worried? Where were you in the last five years? Where were you when she tried to reach out to you?"_

"_I can never make up for the years that passed, Bart. I'm not going to lie and say that I' wasn't angry and disappointed with her..."_

_Oliver didn't continue. There was still so much pain, and even with the years has passed, none of them have completely moved on. There was still a  
part of them that was rooted to the past._

"_If Doomsday or Davis Bloome is back... we need to be back."_

_At his words, Bart gave Oliver a look of suspicion. "We?"_

"_AC, Victor and Dinah. They're already involved."_

_At his response, Bart nodded. "And me?"_

_Oliver nodded his head. "We need you back, Impulse."_

"_Watchtower?"_

"_She's compromised, considering who we are dealing with."_

_Bart was going to turn Oliver down when he remembered James. There was no way Chloe could get involve as Watchtower and take care of James at the same time.  
JL was sure to want to know where his mama went. Knowing the hours she spent as Watchtower, being back in the league would mean less quality time with her son._

"_What about Chloe? If it is Davis, we're just going to leave her out there?"_

"_We need to make sure we have all the information we need before we make a move. If it is necessary to move her and her son to a safer location, we will..."_

"_No."_

_Oliver looked in surprise at Bart's response. "No?"_

"_If you don't move her now, I'm not going with you. I'm staying right next to Chloe and JL where I can protect them." It was saying those words that made  
Bart blink. JL. James Lucas. Justice League. JL. Bart gave a smirk. Trust Chloe to come up with that._

"_Look, I know how important this whole thing is, for all we know, Doomsday is already making his way to Chloe. Ain't going to let that happen to my Chloelicious."_

_Oliver nodded his head, and took out a cell phone. "Take this, talk to Chloe and show her the pictures. Call me as soon as you talked to her. If she wants to move, We'll move her."_

"UNCLE BART!"

The sharp voice shook Bart out of his thoughts. He looked surprised at JL who frowned at him.

"Sorry, dude."

"You weren't listening!" accused the young boy who looked completely upset.

Bart gave an apologetic smile. "That's because I was just thinking of how I can show you my surprise gift to you!"

At the word gift, James immediately perked up. "Really?"

"Yep!" Bart replied as he winked at Chloe and Lois and pulled something out of his back pack. "I have a feeling... that you will really want this..."

With a flourish, Bart took out a hand held video game that made James clap his hands in excitement.

"Is that a DS?"

Bart just handed the toy to JL who opened the box and completely abandoned his dinner.

"Bart, you shouldn't have!"

Bart just looked at Chloe and grinned. "Employee discount, just for you and the little man..."

"What about me? Where's my gift?"

"Maybe if you give me a kiss..." Bart never finished his sentence as Lois threw a rolled up napkin at his face.

"Why don't you all go to the living room and see how that thing works."

James didn't need to be told twice. "Thanks mama!"

With a quick peck on the cheeks, James practically ran to the living room followed by Bart. Lois knew this was her chance.

"You know what, that sounds like a good idea!"

Bart Allen would never know what hit him, Lois thought as she took a determined stride to where the two boys were. One way or another, Lois Lane was going to get answers.

End Chapter.

There you have it! Please review and let me know what you guys think. People are going to be popping out in the next chapters... will Bart survive after Lois is finished? Stay tuned!


	3. Chapter 3

envision2435: flashbacks will give a background story to what happened during that five years. Those own choices were events that happened in season 8! However, Jimmy IS the father. When Chloe couldn't heal Clark in the first episode, it made me go hmmmm.... Hope you enjoy this chapter!

babyshan211 : See above! :)

mar1985 Here you go! Pls enjoy!

Sculllyga: Your English is fine! Here's the next chapter!

Kairan1979: Ahhh, young Jimmy's gifts... stay tuned! There will be flashbacks!

Julie: Here's an update! Glad you found it interesting! I hope you enjoy this next chapter as well!

Shiann Reece: Yep, Was not impressed on what happened in the finale. It seemed so rushed. Chalvis had potential! Hope you like this next chapter! Watch out for a Bart-centric chapter soon. And

Anonymous: I was under the impression that Lois didn't know! Jimmy is the father, and this will be a Chlark. May hint to Oliver/Lois....

A big, big thank you to Eeyore840 for being my beta!

Bart Allen swore that Lois Lane was going to burn a hole through his head with her death glare.

"James? It's time for bed!"

James shook his head as he continued to play with his new toy. "I'm not sleepy!"

Chloe walked into the living room. "I didn't ask if you were sleepy." She gently ruffled her son's hair, and then held out her hand.  
"Come on now. You can play again tomorrow."

James gave an exaggerated sigh. He shuffled over to Lois and Bart, kissing them on the cheek before returning to Chloe.  
"Good night, Aunt Lois. Good night, Uncle Bart."

"Night, JL." Bart replied, trying desperately to think of a way to avoid Lois' impending interrogation.

When Chloe and James were out of earshot, Lois fixed Bart with her most intimidating stare, the one she favoured during interviews  
with uncooperative politicians.

"So, how did you and Chloe meet again?"

"We met through Clark." Bart replied. "Don't you need to get back to Metropolis?"

Lois shook her head. "I took time off. So you met Chloe through Clark?"

Bart nodded.

Lois' eyes narrowed imperceptibly. "And I suppose you met the Green Arrow through Clark?"

Bart shrugged. "Don't know about any Green Arrow."

"Of course you don't."

Bart waited silently for Lois to continue.

"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at school?"

"Semester break... and I took some time off, too." Bart replied calmly.

"Why?"

Now it was his turn to ask the questions. "Why did you take time off?"

Lois shrugged. "Actually, I was on my way to Gotham to cover the new venture between Queen Industries and Wayne Enterprises when  
I received a surprise visit from the Green Arrow." She stared at the younger man, whose only response was a raised eyebrow.  
"He wanted me to deliver a message to Chloe."

Bart pretended to be interested. "Wow, really? You get to be the Green Arrow's personal messenger?"

"I could say the same thing about you."

"Me?" Bart said, feigning surprise. "Why would you say that?"

"I heard you mention the Green Arrow to Chloe when you came in earlier."

Bart laughed and shook his head. "I don't think so. You must have heard wrong."

Although she wasn't fooled for a moment, Lois was impressed at the younger man's ability to keep a cool head.

Chloe found them staring at each other when she came downstairs and decided to put an end to the cat and mouse game they were playing.

"Okay, as fun as this is, we should probably go to sleep now. Bart, do you want to stay for the night?"

Bart immediately turned to Chloe with a sly smile. "I thought you'd never ask, Chloelicious!"

"Idiot!" Lois snapped as she slapped the back of Bart's head.

Chloe shook her head while Bart rubbed the back of his. "Are you sure you're related to her?" He asked, glaring at Lois.

Lois rolled her eyes. "I've had enough! I'm going to bed."

Chloe and Bart watched as Lois stomped up the stairs to the bathroom. She opened the shower door and turned on the water,  
carefully tiptoeing out of the bathroom again, slamming the door on her way out. She crouched near the banister, straining to hear  
the conversation below.

"I thought she was going to massacre me!" Bart chuckled as Chloe stepped past him and seated herself on the sofa, patting the  
cushion beside her. He sat down next to her, looking Chloe in the eye and lowering his voice before continuing. "Oliver wants you  
and James to go into hiding."

"Hide where, Bart?" Chloe's own voice drifted softly. "Besides, it may be Davis Bloome's body, but it's not really him. Whatever it is,  
it's using Davis' body as a vessel, like Zod did with Lex."

"Maybe, but we also have a problem with Lois. I can whisk you and James to safety if I need to, but I don't know if I can run with all  
three of you.

Listening from her hiding place upstairs, Lois frowned. She was more confused than ever by Bart's words.

"I really think you should take Oliver's offer. Go underground. This may or may not be Davis, but until we're sure of what's going on, we need to hide you."

A few seconds of silence passed before Chloe spoke again. "How is everyone? Oliver, Dinah, AC, and Victor--have you heard from them?"

"No. Not since that time. I think Oliver may have tried to contact me once or twice, but... I had no reason to talk to him. Not anymore anyway."

"I don't think I can ever make up for everything I did wrong..."

"Chloe, stop it. Okay, you messed up. You're only human; you're dealing with aliens, metahumans, and everything else. There's no manual out  
there on how to react when you get crap like this thrown your way. You've done so much for everyone; you've stood by Clark all these years.  
After everything you've gone through, no one should punish you for what you did wrong. I know you're still hurting, and I... I can't even imagine  
what it was like to lose the man you love, your best friend and your cousin all at once. You have to stop blaming yourself. Everything will work out--  
I mean, Lois came back, right? As much as a pain Lois is, she's here for you. You have James, and you have me."

Chloe smiled sadly at Bart. "You've grown up so much, Bart. I'm proud of you."

Bart ignored the blush colouring his cheeks. "I meant what I said Chloe. You may have messed up, but you deserve a second chance. Everybody does.  
You should have enough karma points for that." He stood. "Think about Ollie's offer, but don't take too long. It's better to be safe than sorry." Bart took  
his cell phone out of his pocket. "I'll just make a quick call to Ollie and tell him about our Lois situation."

Still crouched in her hiding place upstairs, Lois was lost in thought. She jumped at the sound of Chloe's voice.

"Lois? What are you doing?"

Lois Lane stood and pushed lock of stray hair behind her ears. "I heard everything, Chloe."

Chloe reached the top of the stairs, unsure of what to say to her cousin. "Lois..."

"Why would Oliver care about Davis Bloome? What are you doing with Oliver and AC, whom I haven't spoken to since we broke up?  
And Zod? What the hell, Chloe?"

"Lois, there's so much going on, and so many people are involved. I can't...I can't explain it to you."

"Don't give me that bullshit, Chloe! Dead people don't just come back to life! What is going on here?" Lois hissed, trying to keep her voice under control.  
"How can Davis Bloome be alive? And what the hell do you mean by a 'vessel'? I know Smallville was weird, but whatever this is... it takes the cake!"

"Lois, I want to tell you, I really do. But it's not my secret to tell!"

Lois stared at Chloe. "Then whose secret is it to tell?"

"Mine."

Oliver Queen stood quietly staring at the two cousins with a grim expression.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Lois asked with her hands on her hips. "And what does your secret have to do with all of this?"

Oliver decided not to waste time. Chloe and her son's safety, and now Lois', were his top priority. He would deal with the consequences later.

"I'm the Green Arrow."

Whatever Lois expected to hear from Oliver, this was not it. "No. No, you're not-- I saw you, and the Green Arrow... "

"I asked Clark to pretend to be me, to throw you off the scent."

"Ewwww, I kissed Smallville?" Lois shuddered, remembering how much she had enjoyed the kiss. "Ewwwww!" She shook her head, trying  
to push the now freaky image out of her mind. "You have a lot of explaining to do, both of you!"

Oliver began to tell Lois what she needed to know. As Chloe listened to his explanation, she began to feel lighter, as if a huge weight had  
fallen from her shoulders.

Lois was shocked as she listened to Oliver's explanation. All this time, her cousin was involved in some Save the World foundation with two of  
her ex-boyfriends and she had never suspected anything.

'Well, that still doesn't answer all the questions, like how the hell is Davis Bloome still alive."

"I don't know the answer to that question. LuthorCorp has been involved with so much experimentation on people with abilities that  
I don't know what cocktail Tess came up with. All I know is that this cannot be good. Anything that involves Mercy and LuthorCorp is  
going to spell disaster."

"Mama? Why is everyone so noisy?" A sleepy James walked up to Chloe and wrapped his arms around her leg. Chloe gently lifted her  
son and held him close. "Did we wake you, honey? I'm so sorry!"

The boy looked at Oliver Queen over his mother's shoulder. The billionaire stared back at James before giving him a small smile.  
"My name's Oliver. It's nice to meet you, James."

James gave Oliver a bright smile before offering his hand. Oliver shook it firmly and continued to gaze at Chloe's son.

"He's got Jimmy's smile."

"Of course he would, he's Jimmy's son!" Lois snapped irritably.

"I didn't mean anything by it, Lois. I can do the math."

Chloe shifted the child in her arms. "I need to put James back to bed."

Oliver shook his head. "Don't bother, Chloe. We have to leave now. The latest satellite image shows that Mercy and Davis are on the move.

"Oliver..."

"Chloe, this time, please listen to me." Oliver said softly as he looked at her. "We don't know what they have planned. You may or may not be a  
factor, but this time, we cannot take any chances. There's no time to pack--I'll provide everything you'll need, but we must leave now."

Chloe nodded. "Give me ten minutes."

_*_*_*

Soon they were all on the road in Oliver's limousine. The only items Chloe had in her possession were a photo album, a few pictures of Jimmy  
and her father, and her son's favourite teddy bear.

Chloe stared out of the tinted window as James slept soundly in her lap. Bart, however, was staring at a picture on his phone. Glancing at the  
picture over his shoulder, Lois gave him a quick smile.

"Girlfriend?"

"No! We're just friends."

"Really?" Lois examined the picture more closely. "She's cute."

"Whatever." Bart snapped the phone shut as he, too, began staring out the window.

Suddenly, the car came to a halt. Before they knew what was happening, they heard an ear-piercing screech as the roof was torn  
away and the car was ripped into pieces. Only the seats remained intact, with the occupants still belted into them.

James, who was now awake, clutched Chloe tightly. The noise was now gone, replaced by an eerie silence. The road was empty, with  
only a few street lamps lighting the area. Chloe unfastened her seat belt and stood up, wrapping her arms tightly around James. The  
others did the same, looking around in the darkness.

Chloe felt her blood run cold when a figure emerged from the shadows. Davis Bloome walked toward her, an evil smile on his face.

"Hey, Chloe." Davis' smooth voice was like velvet.

Chloe felt ill as she remembered how the blood trickled from Jimmy's mouth after Davis had stabbed him.

"I don't like him, mama. I don't like him." James whimpered against her neck. Chloe took a step back and tightened her grip on her son.  
Lois immediately shielded her cousin and nephew with her body and glared at Davis.

With a flick of his hands, Davis sent the others hurtling into different directions, leaving him alone with Chloe and James. James hugged  
his mother even tighter.

"It's been a while, Chloe. You're still beautiful, even more so than the last time I saw you, before I learned how you betrayed me."  
His voice was cold, reflecting the anger she saw in his eyes.

"I wanted to save you, Davis. I wanted to save you and Clark."

"Clark, Clark, Clark..." he spat the name out like bitter medicine. "And where is he now, Chloe?"

Davis moved closer to her, fixing her with his gaze. "He left you."

Chloe stood her ground as she silently stared back at him. She saw Davis' face and heard his deep, rich, voice, but she could find no trace  
of the kind paramedic she had befriended. She didn't think she could be any more frightened until she saw Davis' eyes shift from her own  
face to the trembling boy in her arms.

"This must be Jimmy's son."

"I will not let you hurt him, Davis."

Davis laughed at the fierce declaration. "I guess what they say about mothers protecting their young is true.

"I've dreamed of this so many times, Chloe. I've dreamed about so many ways to hurt you--to make you pay for what you did to me."  
Davis smiled a cold, heartless smile. "But I think I've just found the best way."

Chloe fell to the ground as an invisible force yanked James from her grasp and carried him toward Davis, who smiled triumphantly at her pain.

"NO!" Chloe heard herself scream before she realized she was no longer on the ground. She stared in shock at the face of the man she had not seen in years.

Clark Kent looked like a picture of perfect calm as he held Chloe and James in his arms.

"We're flying, mama! We're flying!"

Chloe took one look down, and then back at Clark, who looked as if he was trying hard not to smile, and promptly fainted.


	4. Chapter 4

Starting Over Again 5/?

Standard Disclaimers Apply

A huge thank you to Eeyore840 for being my beta! *bow*

As Clark flew Chloe and James to safety, he knew that Jor-El would not approve. He went to the fortress to become the Kryptonian his  
birth parents wanted him to be—someone who was strong, both physically and emotionally--someone who was not held captive by his feelings.  
Yet, here he was.

James did not seem to mind flying at all. The little boy squealed with laughter as Clark landed near the Justice League's hideaway. Upon entering the  
house, Clark nodded a greeting to Oliver as he carried Chloe and James swiftly into the bedroom. Lois glared at Clark and hurried after them.

"Aunt Lois! Aunt Lois! Mama and I went flying with Uncle Clark!"

"Did you?" Lois asked sweetly, still glaring at Clark. "Are you okay, honey?"

James' expression became serious. "That bad man wanted to hurt Mama."

Lois's face softened as she walked over to the bed and gently ruffled James' blond hair. "We won't let him do it."

James nodded solemnly and glanced at Chloe. "Mama's still sleeping."

"Yes, she is." Lois agreed. "Why don't you go ask Uncle Bart to make you some hot chocolate?"

"Okay." The little boy eased himself gently off the bed and ran out the door.

"Well, Smallville. Welcome back."

"Same to you." Clark replied softly.

Lois studied the man standing before her. The innocent Kansas farm boy she met years ago was gone. Clark looked calm, confident,  
and self-possessed. Knowing what she did about Oliver and his team of heroes, Lois could only come to one conclusion. "Let me guess.  
You're the Red and Blue blur?"

At his silence, Lois just rolled her eyes. "I should've figured it out, with your love for the primary colours." She snickered, raising an eyebrow  
as she eyed Clark from head to toe. "What? You got tired of the red and blue and decided on basic black?"

"It's good to see you too, Lois."

"Where the hell did you go, Clark?"

Clark looked at Chloe, and then nodded his head in the direction of the balcony. Lois followed him outside.

"I couldn't stay anymore. Not after everything that has happened."

"Whatever happened, it was because of Davis Bloome."

"He was sent here because of me!"

"And you got rid of him... or so we thought anyway. Did you really think leaving would make everything better?"

Clark jaw clenched as he studied the sky. "I had to,"he answered. He wasn't willing to elaborate further. It was bad enough that  
Lois now knew his secret. He wasn't about to tell her everything about him.

"Yeah, while you were out there licking your wounds, Chloe was alone. I would have been there for her, except I didn't know what had  
happened to me. I was missing, Clark! I woke up in the hospital six months after Doomsday to discover that Chloe was pregnant and I  
had a huge chunk of my memory missing! Thankfully, Bart was there for her. You, on the other hand, could have been there for her, but you  
chose not to be!"

"I can't keep putting the world in danger because of my feelings. I should have listened to Oliver. He warned me about Davis and how  
dangerous he was. He could have destroyed the whole world!"

"But he didn't." Lois looked over her shoulder at Chloe's sleeping form. "Look, I won't even say that I know what you're going through,  
because I don't. I don't even think _I_ understand what's going on. What I do know, Clark, is that you have saved many people. Why would  
you change that?"

"I can do better, Lois."

"How does abandoning your best friend make things better, Clark?"

Clark smiled softly, reminding Lois of the old Clark Kent. "What makes you think that I've abandoned her?"

Before she could ask Clark what he meant, Lois heard Oliver clearing his throat.

"Oliver." Clark acknowledged his presence; the young billionaire nodded silently.

"This might interest you." Oliver said quietly, handing a file to Lois and Clark.

They followed Oliver into the hallway after Lois tucked a blanket around Chloe and kissed her on the forehead. In the living room,  
James and Bart sat in front of the television playing a video game. Oliver led them to an office and gently shut the door.

"These are satellite images taken by Victor a few hours ago. It seems that our old friend has decided to move back to Smallville."

Clark took the picture and saw a familiar insignia. "This looks like Zod's symbol."

"The others should be here by tomorrow. We'll move to a new location when they arrive. Clark, you can stay with Chloe..."

"I'm not staying."

Both Lois and Oliver looked at Clark. "What?"

Clark ignored Lois as he put the pictures back on the table. "I just wanted to make sure Chloe and James were safe. This is my fight, Oliver. Don't get in the way."

Oliver glared at Clark. "This is your fight, huh? Clark, this is our fight too! What gives you the right to take on Davis alone?"

"It's what I was sent here for. It's what my father would have wanted," Clark replied.

"Somehow, I don't think you're talking about Jonathan Kent." Lois muttered as she stared at both Oliver and Clark.

"Clark, you can't do this on your own."

"I have to. He's not human, Oliver. You cannot destroy him--not even with all of the resources at your disposal," Clark replied, walking away.  
"Remember what I said, Oliver. Don't get in my way."

Lois turned to Oliver. "You have a lot of explaining to do!"

As Clark stepped outside the safe house, he x-rayed the room where Chloe lay sleeping. Satisfied that she was resting peacefully,  
he flew toward his destination, thinking about his conversation with Lois...

**********************************************************************************

_During the third year of his training, Jor-El finally allowed Clark to leave the fortress, promising him that upon his return, he would teach him how to fly.  
As Clark sped across each continent, he monitored the news, searching for any indication that LuthorCorp was up to no good. _

_He enjoyed his time off immensely. On the fifth day of his vacation, he visited his mother. He watched from the shadows as Martha Kent worked her magic in  
Washington. He wanted so much to talk with her and to feel her warm embrace, but he knew that it would be easier for both of them if he kept his presence  
unknown. He was about to return to Jor-El earlier than required when he recognized a familiar voice screaming frantically._

"_JAMES!"_

_In seconds, Clark was in California, watching as people fled the shopping mall in panic. Looking at the destruction around him, he realised that an earthquake had occurred.  
He located Chloe just as a security guard grabbed onto her and tried to drag her away from the building. Her bloodied face wore an anguished expression as she resisted the  
man's assistance._

"_Please, my son is still inside!"_

"_Lady, let us do our job! We have to evacuate you immediately!"_

"_No!" Chloe protested as she tried to push the guard away from her. She had to find James! During the earthquake, the panicked crowd ran for the exits, _

_knocking Chloe to the ground, causing her to lose her grip on her son. She knew she would never forgive herself if something happened to him. She had  
already lost Jimmy; she would not lose James too._

_As Clark watched Chloe struggle, he focused his super hearing on the voice of a young boy. It was faint at first, but as Clark concentrated, the voice grew louder._

"_Mama! Mama!"_

_Clark used his x-ray vision to locate the small figure inside a toy store huddled next to a giant teddy bear. The crowd screamed as the ground trembled once more.  
"Let me go! My son is inside!" Chloe yelled as she struggled against the security officer. "JAMES!"_

_The agony in Chloe's voice was unbearable. Without thinking, Clark smashed through the wall and grabbed the boy, shielding him with his body as he took flight.  
"Mama! I want my mama!"_

_The boy looked at him with Chloe's eyes. It was then that Clark realized he was flying._

"_I'll take you back to your mama."_

_The boy stopped crying and held on tightly as Clark looked for a safe place to land, unseen. Using his heat vision to destroy the security cameras, he alighted in a  
distant parking lot._

_Clark gently placed Chloe's son on the ground. "You can't tell anyone about this okay?" Clark said soberly as he held the boy's shoulders. The little boy nodded, awestruck.  
Clark pointed him toward the direction of the crowd. "Go straight to your mama."_

_The boy nodded again and ran, screaming for his mother. Clark watched as Chloe scooped her son up in her arms and snuggled him tightly. He could hear Chloe's heart  
beating rapidly as tears rolled down her cheeks. When he saw her smile, Clark knew it was time to go. He could not stay any longer. _

_From that moment on, Clark kept watch over Chloe and her son. If Jor-El was aware of what his son was doing, he kept his silence. Although many years had passed, Clark  
knew he could never abandon Chloe completely. She had once asked him if he was outgrowing her. His answer was the same now as it had always been. No matter where  
he was in the universe, he would never outgrow Chloe Sullivan. Besides Kryptonite, she was his only weakness._

**********************************************************************************

Davis Bloome smiled as he used his heat vision to light a fire in the hearth at Luthor Mansion. Soon he would battle Kal-El.

His mother was right. When that fool, Jimmy Olsen, tried to kill him, he only succeeded in pushing Davis closer to his destiny. Whatever "killed" him only made him stronger.  
The beast within him was only a manifestation. The moment he opened his eyes inside his coffin, he knew that he was indestructible. The monster that Chloe Sullivan  
separated him from only gave Davis another chance at survival. The beast was nothing without the son of Zod.

His father's crystal drew him to this mansion. When he merged with the crystal, he felt even more powerful, and his desire for destruction increased, but he bided his time.  
He wanted to destroy the last remaining descendant of the House of El.

He allowed Tess Mercer to shelter him. She offered him all the meteor freaks she could find. Each contributed to his increased strength.  
Their power was now his own. They were his army, even if he had no need for them. Let the woman believe she was running the show.

"Chloe." Even now, he still could not stop thinking about her. Her name brought back so many memories. He wanted nothing more than to see her suffer  
and to wield his power over her. The thought of Chloe giving birth to _Jimmy Olsen's son_ sickened him. At the same time, the boy gave him an advantage.  
It was a simple plan, as Braniac once said to him.

He would use the boy to destroy Chloe. In turn, he would use Chloe to destroy Clark. Without the last son of Krypton around to interfere, Davis would fulfil his  
destiny and continue the legacy of his parents. He would destroy the world, and no force on this earth that would be able to stop him.

End Chapter.

Until next time! Please review and let me know what you guys think!

Scullyga: Thank You!

Babyshan211: I didn't know that Lois knew. Hehehe... For this fic, she doesn't!

Mar1985: Clark is back, and Chloe does deserve a happy ending...

Bullet2tm: Thank you! I'm like you; I skipped a few season of Smallville, just got back into it in Season 8 after the whole Chloe/Davis.

Jounouchi sama: Bart as Flash.... not sure. As for the Lois/Oliver or Dinah/Oliver... can't make promises!

Lilysnyder: Thanks!


	5. Chapter 5

Starting Over Again

Standard Disclaimers Apply

_*_*

Maria Fielding smiled to herself as she finished decorating the cake. Although it had taken her longer than usual, Maria didn't mind. Her sister, Clara,  
had just won a local modelling contest and, like their mother in her younger days, would soon be on her way to fame and fortune. In spite of her  
desire to congratulate Clara with the rest of her family, Maria stayed in the kitchen, checking on the food she had prepared for the celebration. It was  
Clara's special day, and Maria wanted everything to be perfect.

Her father entered the kitchen, sniffing the air appreciatively. "Your mother wants to know if dinner is ready."

Maria smiled. "The roast is finished, and the cake is done."

"Good!" Her father kissed her on the forehead. "I'll start preparing the table."

Maria nodded. "Okay. I'll take the food out soon. I want to clean this mess up first."

"Whatever you say, boss!" Mr. Fielding left the kitchen with an armful of plates.

Maria began to load the dishwasher when she heard her phone beep. Fishing her phone out of her apron pocket, she frowned at the unfamiliar  
number as she read the cryptic message aloud. "It's Bart. Can't meet with you tomorrow. Emergency. Sorry." Her mood instantly deflated.  
"Let me guess, it's another 'Chloe emergency'" she muttered, snapping the phone shut.

Ever since his mid-term arrival at Star City High, Maria and Bart shared a close friendship. She adored his cheeky sense of humour and his never-ending  
appetite, especially since Bart loved Maria's cooking and readily ate whatever she prepared for him. For the hundredth time, Maria wondered at Bart's  
devotion to Chloe Sullivan, whom she had met only once, while Chloe was still pregnant. It had taken Maria months to pull Bart out of the depression  
he struggled with after learning that Chloe was expecting another man's child; she wasn't willing to watch him suffer like that again. When Chloe made  
headlines by running away with a serial killer, a man who eventually murdered her ex-husband, Maria could not help but question Chloe's loyalty.  
But Bart, devastated by Chloe's disappearance, defended her so ferociously that Maria regretted speaking her mind, as it had nearly cost her Bart's friendship.

After dinner, Maria's sister helped her clean up the kitchen.

"So, what did Bart do this time?"

Maria looked at Clara. "What makes you think he did something?"

Clara rolled her eyes. "You have _that_ look on your face. You know-- the same look you have every time Bart does something that upsets you."

Maria sighed. "We were supposed to go to the Master Chef vs. Iron Chef Cook-off at the Star City Stadium together, but he bowed out."

Clara put the plate she was wiping in the cupboard. "Is this because of that Chloe Sullivan woman again?"

"I don't get it!" Maria complained, throwing the towel on the kitchen bench. "_She ran away with a serial killer_! But Bart insists that the guy must've forced  
her to go with him or something!"

"Well, you don't know what really happened-- for all we know, it may be true. Besides, you know Bart..."

"I know that he's blind when it comes to her," Maria grumbled.

"Maria..."

"Chloe Sullivan was the youngest editor of her high school paper, and the youngest intern to work at the Daily Planet. According to Bart, if it weren't for  
Lex Luthor, she'd still be working there! She put Lionel Luthor behind bars when she was _sixteen_. Oh, and let's not forget that she was also the class  
valedictorian, the prom queen, and, of course, a cheerleader!" Maria buried her face in her hands. "I don't even know how to compete with that!"

Clara stared at her sister helplessly. Neither she nor Maria was aware of the hidden device that was recording them.

Miles away, Tess Mercer smiled.

***

"So, when are you going to get off your high horse?"

A startled Oliver Queen turned to find Lois Lane approaching. "I'm sorry?"

"The way you're acting towards Chloe? Not acceptable."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Really?" Lois snorted. "I saw the way you treated her this morning."

Lois knew she was unaware of all that had transpired between Chloe and Oliver, but Oliver's coldness surprised her. She had witnessed  
her cousin's attempt to speak with Oliver, who replied with only a 'yes', a 'no', or a grunt.

"I know there's a lot I don't know, but you'd better back off with your high and mighty attitude towards my cousin, Oliver."

"You know what, Lois? You're right—you don't know much of what happened so maybe it's you who should back off."

"My cousin made a wrong choice and ran off with this 'thing' that was supposed to kill us all, but you know what? She did it with good intentions.  
Besides, I don't see you reacting this way towards _Mercy._"

At the mention of Tess Mercer's name, Oliver's entire body tensed. "Leave her out of this."

Lois smirked at the uncharacteristic gruffness in the billionaire's voice. "Tess Mercer has something up her sleeve. She's continuing Lex Luthor's work.  
You should know that since you're the one with all of the surveillance photos. Yet, you don't want to believe anything bad about your beloved _Mercy_.

"She's working with Davis, Oliver. I doubt she's doing it for the good of humanity. The next time you give Chloe the cold shoulder, you might want to think about that."

****

Chloe watched her son sleep, his short blond hair glowing in the sunlight as his favourite teddy bear snuggled next to him.

She didn't know what she would have done if Clark hadn't shown up to save them from Davis. She tried to speak with Oliver earlier, but his behaviour proved  
that he was still angry with her. This time, she knew there was nothing left in Davis to save. Oliver may not like it, but he was going to have to talk to her if  
they were going to win the fight against Davis.

Once again, she walked out into the living room where Oliver sat studying a pile of photos and documents. "I did what I thought was right at the time, Oliver."

"I know."

Chloe could hear the bitterness in his short reply. _At least this time, it was a full sentence_. "I don't know how many times I have to apologize to you, Oliver, but..."

"I trusted you, Chloe!" Oliver snapped, looking up for the first time since she entered the room. "You were supposed to be on our side!"

"I've always been on your side, Oliver! Don't you understand? _Davis is programmed to kill Clark_! When I realized that he couldn't be killed, I knew I had to take  
him as far away from Clark as I possibly could.

"We could have come up with a plan, Chloe!"

"We both know that Clark wouldn't kill, that he couldn't. If he'd sent Davis to the Phantom Zone, the guilt would have destroyed him! Clark would have re-opened  
the portal to save Davis. You know how his mind works, Oliver!"

"Sometimes we have to do whatever it takes to save the world, no matter what our personal feelings are..."

"It didn't have to be a tossup..."

"Doomsday was never the monster, Davis was! He was a serial killer, Chloe. He..."

"----Killed my husband right in front of my eyes. I see Jimmy every time I look at James. It was my fault, Oliver, and I know that! I will carry that  
burden for the rest of my life! When I separated Davis using the black kryptonite..."

"I nearly killed you, Chloe! Do you have any idea how close you were to dying? I nearly killed you."

"I'm sorry! I believed in Davis, okay? When he first came to me, he trusted me and I had no reason to doubt him. If I had known what he really was,  
I would have made a different decision, but try to understand, Oliver. I had to protect Clark!"

Oliver closed his eyes as he ran his hands over his hair.

"Oliver, please, tell me what's going on!" Chloe pleaded.

"I don't know." Oliver gestured to the various photos on the table. Chloe picked up a picture of Davis with a strange symbol etched on his back.  
"Don't even ask me what that is. I have no idea.

We know that LuthorCorp has been collecting people with meteor related power for years. We've seen some of them in the Luthor Mansion in Scotland.  
Apparently, Davis has manifested their powers." Oliver smiled grimly. "He has a habit of showing off."

Oliver turned the laptop around and played a few clips for Chloe, who watched them carefully. If Davis had managed to assimilate all of the other's abilities  
in the last five years, there was no way Clark could win against Davis.

"Does Clark know?" Chloe breathed, her heart pounding furiously in her chest.

"Clark made it clear that this is his fight."

"He can't face Davis alone, Oliver. It would be suicide!"

Oliver nodded in agreement. "Try telling him that."

"Did he say anything, like where he was going or what he was going to do?"

"No." Oliver collected the files from the table. "His intentions were pretty clear with the 'It's my fight, don't get in my way' speech."

"Where are the others?"

"Dinah and AC should be here shortly. Victor will be meeting us at the next safe house." Oliver hesitated. "We missed you, Chloe."

"I missed all of you, too." Chloe whispered.

"Are we finished with the hallmark moment?"

Both Oliver and Chloe looked at Lois. Lois glanced at her cousin. "You okay, Chlo?"

"Yeah, are you?"

Lois shrugged. "Considering last night, I'm fine. Sure, there's a psycho super serial killer out there, but since we're surrounded by a team of heroes,  
we should be fine, right?"

Oliver smiled suddenly at the small figure behind the two cousins. "Good morning, James."

"Hi, Uncle Oliver. Hi, Aunt Lois." The sleepy boy went to his mother and raised his arms. "Hi, Mama!"

Chloe picked her son up and kissed him on the cheek. "Did you sleep well, sweetheart?"

"I want Uncle Clark to make the bad man go away."

The three adults exchanged glances. "We're going to be okay, James." Chloe replied.

With a loud _whoosh,_ Bart was standing in front of them with two paper bags and a tray of coffee. "J.L., look what I have for you! Come help me in the kitchen."  
As always, his presence lightened James' mood. The boy scrambled away from Chloe and followed Bart into the kitchen.

"How come he never follows me around like that?" Lois asked as they listened to Bart enthral James with another adventure story.

"Because I'm the cool one!" Bart boasted as he handed Chloe her coffee and Danish. He smiled broadly at Chloe's thank you, and then handed Lois and Oliver  
their breakfast. "So, what's the plan?"

"Dinah and AC will be here shortly. Victor will meet us at the safe house."

Lois' hands were itching to write what she considered to be the story of a lifetime—real Pulitzer Prize winning material. _Oliver Queen was the Green Arrow_!  
What was she doing instead? She was sipping her coffee waiting to go to a safe house, on the run from a serial killer who had just come back from the  
dead. She wondered how Chloe stayed sane, knowing she had all of this material and not being able to write a story about it.

"When's Uncle Clark coming back?"

Bart ruffled JL's hair. "Who knows, buddy? I'm sure Boy Scout will show up when we need him."

James accepted Bart's answer without any fuss. They continued eating breakfast in silence, when Oliver's secure line beeped. He opened the phone and  
listened silently, his expression worrying the adults in the room. Oliver abruptly shut his phone and looked at Chloe.

"We need to go now. Apparently, Davis was more than happy make his presence known at Blue Creek. He destroyed the entire school."

Chloe swallowed hard. "Was anyone hurt?"

"No." Oliver replied curtly. "Apparently, he just played with the students and the teachers before he blew the entire place up."

Chloe felt a sense of dread overtake her. "What do you mean by 'played'?"

"He used his telekinetic ability to toss people around."

James stopped eating as he listened to Oliver. "Is the bad man coming back?"

"We don't know." Chloe replied, the lie obvious to everyone in the room except James.

"Come on buddy, I'll race you to the van." Bart said lightly. As expected, James nodded and ran outside with Bart.

Chloe took a deep breath. "I'll go get our bags."

When she was out of earshot, Lois looked at Oliver in concern. "There's something else, isn't there?"

Oliver nodded. "He issued a challenge to Kal-El. He made sure everyone in the school knew why he did what he did. He wants to fight  
Clark in three days, in Metropolis."

"Great," Lois said dryly. "Doomsday part 2. Bring on the testosterone."

When Oliver didn't respond, Lois asked, "What aren't you telling me?"

Oliver decided to tell her the truth. "He can't be killed, Lois. He assimilates other people's abilities. Whatever Clark can do, he can replicate it. It doesn't matter  
what Clark's been learning all these years. Davis will just copy it and use it against Clark."

"Okay... that doesn't sound promising."

"It's not. We have three days to figure something out, Lois. If we can't think of a way to defeat Davis, the game is over."

Lois let out a shaky breath. She looked at Oliver and saw his determination despite the odds they faced. "We'll find a way." Lois said softly,  
shaking her head at the hesitation in her own voice.

This time, she straightened her body; her face mirrored Oliver's determined expression.

"We will find a way."

End Chapter

Hope you guys liked it. Let me know what you think! Reviews very much appreciated!


	6. Chapter 6

Thanks for all the comments, guys! Consider this a short filler. Hope you enjoy this and hang on for the next chapter.

Thanks to my beta Eeyore840!

Standards Disclaimers Still Apply! They never belonged to me and they never will!

_(_(_

Davis Bloome stood in Chloe Sullivan's abandoned living room, his dark eyes gleaming coldly as he surveyed his surroundings.

_If Lex Luthor was as smart as everyone claimed, he would have found someone other than Tess Mercer to oversee his projects while he was 'unavailable',  
_he thought smugly, using his heat vision to destroy the photos of Chloe and her son. He was about to walk away when he noticed a flutter of pink  
paper out of the corner of his eye. Using his telekinetic abilities, he brought the paper closer, his handsome face twisting in anger as he read the words.

Deadly waves radiated from his body as Davis stalked out of the house. The house erupted in flames as he took flight, his mind focused on one thought:  
The death of Kal-El.

_)_)_)

Standing in the food section of a Star City bookstore with a cookbook in each hand, Maria Fielding was deciding between Jamie Oliver and  
Nigela Lawson when another book caught her eye.

"_Modern Serial Killers_." Maria shivered. The Cornfield Killer's face stared back at her. She flipped through the book and found a picture of Chloe Sullivan  
attending her husband's funeral.

Maria sighed. She remembered her first and last fight with Bart. Chloe had run off with the serial killer, leaving Bart completely distraught. As he paced  
back and forth, babbling on about how Chloe needed him, how he needed to save her from Davis Bloome, Maria snapped. No longer willing to listen to  
Bart sing Chloe's praises, she told him exactly what she thought: Chloe was a woman who betrayed her friends and her husband, and was now willingly  
on the run with a killer.

_Maria would never forget the look on Bart's face as long as she lived, nor would she forget his passionate defense of his precious Chloe. _

"_Wake up, Bart! She's not in love with you—she will __**never**__ be in love with you!" Maria shouted. "She'd rather be with a __**serial killer**__ than be with you!"_

_She regretted it the minute she'd said it. Bart Allen walked away without another word. It would be four months before Maria spoke with him again._

_When he finally called, Maria was surprised, but relieved. She could hear the sadness in his voice, and although she was still angry with him, she agreed  
to meet him at a bar in California._

_Club Marconi was dark and gloomy. It took Maria a minute to recognize the sagging figure of her best friend at the bar, a glass of amber liquid in his hands.  
She approached him cautiously. Bart lifted his glass in greeting._

"_Hi."_

"_Hey." Maria seated herself next to him._

"_I found her, Maria. I found Chloe." Bart tossed a crumpled piece of paper at Maria._

_Maria sighed. After four months, it was still all about Chloe. "It's what you wanted, right? What did she say to you?"_

_Bart snorted as he took another gulp of alcohol and signaled for a refill. "She didn't know I was there… I saw her, and…I ran off." Bart sighed.  
"She's pregnant."_

_Maria gasped. "With the serial killer's baby?"_

_Bart glared at her. "The baby is Jimmy's! Chloe would never…" Bart shuddered at the thought of Chloe being intimate with Davis.  
"She's not like that! She would never…"_

"_Bart, she ran away with Davis Bloome…"_

"_He must have forced her to do it! You don't know Chloe…she would never leave us!"_

_Maria sighed. She had no desire to rehash this argument. "So she's pregnant with her husband's baby. What are you surprised?"_

_Bart frowned, shaking his head. "Jimmy…why Jimmy?"_

_Maria tried to move Bart's glass out of reach, but he swatted her hand away. "I mean, Jimmy's a nerd…a geek! What could she have seen in him?"  
He took another swig._

"_Bart…"_

"_What did she see in him? Why couldn't she see ME?" he asked, setting his glass down a little too hard. "Why didn't she want me?"_

_Maria took his glass away from him. "I think you've had enough."_

"_I AM NOT A CHILD!" Bart roared, oblivious to the stares of the other patrons._

_Maria decided to try a different approach. She gently held Bart's hands in her own. "I'm sorry, okay?" she said softly.  
"Maybe she saw some quality in him that she really liked, and…"_

_Bart shook his head. "He doesn't know Chloe like I do! He doesn't even know how special she is! He doesn't know her secrets;  
he can't protect her like I can!"_

_For the first time, Maria realized that Bart's feelings for Chloe ran deeper than she originally feared. _

_Another hour passed before Maria was able to convince Bart that it was time to leave. It was very late, and they were miles away from home.  
She struggled to keep him upright until they reached her car. He passed out on the front seat, oblivious that her windshield, along with every  
other one in the parking lot, had been shattered._

_A frightened Maria looked at the crumpled paper in her hand. Without much money, her choices were limited. She knew where they needed to go._

_Maria took a deep breath before knocking on the door, trying hard not to drop Bart, who was snoring gently on her shoulder. She squinted into the  
bright porch light as a pregnant Chloe Sullivan stared in shock through the screen door._

"_Miss Sullivan? We haven't met, but I'm a friend of Bart Allen, and…"_

"_Oh my God! What happened? Come in…" Chloe ushered them into the house and into the nearby guest bedroom._

_Maria winced as she detangled Bart's watch from her hair. "He's drunk!"_

"_But he's not even old enough…"_

_Maria snorted as she watched Chloe cover Bart's sleeping form with a blanket. "Tell that to the bartender!" _

"_How did he find me?"_

_Maria shrugged. "I don't know. Bart asked me to meet him at Marconi's." She met Chloe's gaze. "He's been looking for you for awhile now."_

_Chloe shook her head and sighed. "I'm going to get him some coffee. Would you like anything to drink?"_

"_No, thank you."_

"_Can you keep an eye on him for me? I'll be back in a minute."_

_Maria waited until Chloe disappeared into the hallway before she sat down on the bed next to Bart. She brushed his hair out of his eyes and  
smiled at the serious expression on his face._

"_You're so beautiful," she whispered softly, as she watched him sleep. She gently held his hand in hers. "Why can't you see me?" she asked softly._

_Bart stirred and clasped her hand tightly. "Chloe?"_

_Humiliated, Maria quickly untangled her hand from Bart's grasp. She brushed away a tear and stood as Chloe walked into the room with a mug of coffee  
and a pair of pajama bottoms._

_Chloe gave Maria a smile. "Can you help me change him?" Seeing Maria's red face, she quickly added, "Don't worry—Bart's a boxer guy."_

_Maria did not want to know how Chloe knew that. She nodded quickly and moved toward the bed._

"_So, how do you know Bart?"_

"_From Star City High School. He was in a few of my classes."_

_Chloe snorted as they finished their task. "That must have been fun."_

"_Not for the teachers." Maria replied. Chloe could only nod in agreement. She smiled as Maria tried to stifle a yawn._

"_I have a spare bedroom upstairs. You must be exhausted!"_

"_I don't want to be any trouble…"_

"_You aren't. Do your parents know you're here?"_

_Maria winced, realizing that she had silenced her phone hours earlier. She took her phone out of her bag and swallowed hard. There were ten missed calls a  
nd six messages. "I need to make a call."_

_Chloe nodded. "Feel free to use the phone in the den."_

_Maria stopped in the doorway. "Thanks. My name is Maria…Maria Fielding."_

"_It's nice to meet you, Maria."_

_Maria nodded and walked into the den, closing the door behind her. She pulled out her cell phone and called her sister. She knew her mother would  
be hysterical by now, and Maria was not ready to deal with her tonight._

"_Clara?"_

"_Maria! Where are you? Mom is about to call the police!"_

"_Don't!" Maria hissed, glancing at the door behind her. "Look, I'm fine, okay? I'm with Bart."_

"_Where?"_

"_We're staying at a friend's place." Maria hesitated. It wasn't a lie, exactly._

"_Do I know this friend?"_

"_No, not really. She's a friend of Bart's."_

_Clara sighed. "I'm going to need a name, Maria."_

_Maria looked behind her to make sure that she was still alone. "Chloe Sullivan." She decided to leave out the part about being in California._

"_Chloe Sullivan? The woman you said ran off with a serial killer?"_

"_Ummm, yes?"_

"_MARIA!"_

_Maria winced at her sister's tone. "I can explain everything! I'm fine, and I don't think she is hiding any serial killers. At least, I hope she's not."_

_She closed her eyes as her sister's tirade began._

"_Look, Clara. I told you I was fine. I couldn't come home because the car was trashed. Just please, please keep Mom and Dad off my back until I get home.  
I promise I'll call first thing in the morning."_

_Clara, finally convinced that her sister was indeed okay, agreed. Maria walked quietly out of the room, surprised to hear Bart's slurred voice._

"_Why can't it be me…it's never me? Clark, Jimmy, Davis…"_

_She heard Chloe sigh._

"_Bart, one day you'll meet someone who will love you and accept you for everything that you are. When that happens, you'll forget all about me."_

"_Never!" Even in his drunken state, Bart responded with such conviction that Maria felt a surge of resentment toward Chloe._

"_Sleep, Impulse. We can talk in the morning."_

"_You won't leave?"_

"_No, I won't." Chloe replied softly. Bart nodded and closed his eyes. _

_Chloe turned to find Maria standing in the doorway. "You should rest; you both have a long drive tomorrow." She ushered the younger girl up the stairs. _

"Excuse me!"

Maria felt a slight prick in her shoulder as she slammed the book shut. She tried to reach for Jamie Oliver's book, but her vision blurred and her mouth  
felt dry as her world turned black.

End Chapter

That's it for this one! please comment and let me know what you guys think!


	7. Chapter 7

Starting Over Again

Standard Disclaimers Apply

********

"Finally!" Lois sighed as she settled into the tub. They were in hiding again; this time at the French Country inspired town house that belonged to  
Oliver's grandfather. Oliver's plan was to keep them moving a few steps ahead of Davis Bloome, but with all of Davis' newly acquired abilities, Lois  
did not think they would be able to outrun him.

She breathed in the scent of vanilla as she admired the room's décor, from the lovely cream-colored walls to the thick green towels and matching  
bathrobe folded neatly on the small chest of drawers at the foot of the elegant tub.

They were safe for now, but Oliver told them they would be moving again tomorrow. One day had already passed. There were two more to go, and  
they were nowhere near figuring out a way to defeat Davis Bloome. Lois felt tired, and she was sick of thinking about Davis Bloome. Her eyelids  
grew heavy as she relaxed in the warm water. Slowly, she drifted off to sleep, briefly forgetting about Davis and the threat he presented to her family.

Minutes passed before she opened her eyes again, feeling strangely energetic. She reached for the towel and quickly dried off, enveloping her body in  
the soft robe. Eager to find the others to discuss their strategy for tomorrow, Lois opened the bathroom door and headed down the hallway. She stopped  
abruptly when she realized that the house was strangely quiet. Just before she entered the bathroom, she could hear AC and Bart arguing downstairs.  
Now, there was only silence.

"Chloe?"

Victor's computer screen flickered in the den, and the television played in the living room, but there was no one in sight.

"Oliver? Bart?" Lois called.

She received no reply.

"This isn't funny!"

Fear gripped her as she entered the empty kitchen. She reached for the phone just as Chloe screamed.

The noise came from outside the house. "Chloe? Chloe! I'm coming!"

Lois ran to the old horse barn and yanked the door open, gasping at the bloodied bodies of Oliver, Bart, AC, Dinah and Victor. Chloe cowered in a  
corner as Davis Bloome's menacing form towered over her.

"Leave her alone!" Lois grabbed a whip that hung on the stable wall and advanced toward Davis.

Davis' red eyes dismissed her as he turned his attentions back to Chloe.

"I said stay _away_ from her!" She swung the whip hard across Davis' back. As she moved to strike him a second time, she suddenly found herself  
pinned against the wall as Davis held the whip's handle against her throat. Her feet dangled inches from the ground.

"Davis! Please don't hurt her!" Chloe pleaded.

Lois glared defiantly at Davis, who snarled back. "Don't get in my way again, or this nightmare will come true!"

"Go to hell!" Lois rasped, struggling to free herself from his vise-like grip.

Davis smiled up at Lois. "You can't stop me. None of you can." He gazed at the others lying motionless on the ground. "It's all over. I have won,  
and none of you can do anything about it, not even Clark."

"Why…are…you …doing…this?" Lois' vision grew darker.

"It is my destiny to destroy this world." Davis smiled as he looked at Chloe. "I need to make your cousin pay for what she did to me."

"No!" Lois whispered, falling roughly to the ground at Davis' feet.

Lois watched Davis disappear into the night sky with Chloe in his arms. She willed herself not to faint as she crawled toward a haystack.

Lois screamed when she spotted her nephew's lifeless body.

Bart reached the door to the bathroom first, using all of his strength to break the lock. "Lois! Lois, it's okay! It's me, Bart!" He tried to grasp her  
shoulders, but Lois struggled violently against him, screaming.

"Lois! Lois!" Chloe flew into the bathroom and knelt down next to the bathtub, taking Lois' face in her hands. "Lois, look at me! It's Chloe!  
okay. Everything's okay."

Lois eyes darted from Chloe, to Bart, Oliver, and Dinah. "Where are Victor and AC? And James! Where's James?" There was no disguising the panic in her voice.

"They're all fine, Lois, they're in the den! What happened?" Chloe asked gently, still holding her cousin's face.

"Davis Bloome—he knows we're up to something. He…" Lois willed herself to calm down. She shivered, holding onto Chloe tightly.  
"We have to stop him, Chloe! We have to!"

Chloe nodded as she wrapped her arms around Lois. She motioned to Oliver for the bathrobe at the foot of the tub.

"I want to see James." Lois whispered.

Chloe nodded as she kissed her cousin on the forehead. "I'll go and get him."

Oliver stepped forward, holding the bathrobe. He helped Lois out of the tub and wrapped her in the robe. Effortlessly, he picked her up and  
carried her into her bedroom.

Lois rested her head on Oliver's shoulder. "He wants Chloe," she whispered.

Oliver's jaw clenched. "I figured as much."

"It was a stupid nightmare. He killed all of you." Lois said softly as Oliver gently laid her on the bed. "And he killed James! He is going to kill my  
nephew, Oliver! I won't let him do that!"

Oliver pulled a soft comforter over Lois. "We won't let him." He smiled at the determination in her voice. She was going to be all right.

"I will kill him for messing with my head!" Lois hissed, pulling the thick blanket up to her neck as she tried to push the horrific images from her mind.

"Aunt Lois?" James ran into the room and climbed up on the bed. "Mama said you had a bad dream."

"I did." Lois replied truthfully, as she gently stroked her nephew's hair. "But I'm okay now."

James nodded as he planted a kiss on his aunt's cheek. "I'll stay with you just in case," he said, snuggling up next to her on the comforter.

Lois hugged her nephew tightly, resolving to find a way to bring down the monster that was Davis Bloome.

Inside Luthor Mansion, Davis smiled, satisfied that he had rattled Lois Lane, if only for a moment. There would be more opportunities to invade  
her mind and make her see exactly what he was capable of doing. He stared out the window, wondering if he should have visited Chloe's mind, instead.

He wanted them to know how powerful he really was. Yet, there was still so much that he was hiding, even from Tess Mercer.

Acquiring the dream walking ability without her knowledge was easy. The abundant supply of DNA stored at LuthorCorp made it possible for him to  
replicate the powers of the deceased meteor infected. He had even more abilities than Tess realized. He had incredible speed, and he could teleport, too.

But there was one power that he was most proud of—the one power that would bring Chloe Sullivan to her knees. It would be so easy to make her suffer  
now, but there was still so much to do. He would let Tess Mercer have her fun, for now. Everything was falling into place.

End Chapter

Thanks guys! Hope you enjoyed this, please let me know what you all think! And thanks to Eeyore840!!


	8. Chapter 8

Starting Over Again 8

Standard Disclaimers Apply

_*_*_*

Maria awoke, blindfolded, and numb, to the soft hum of an engine. Panicking at the sound of approaching footsteps, she tried to scoot her body away  
but found it impossible to move.

A pair of cold hands pulled the blindfold from her face. Maria blinked rapidly as her eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness. She found herself staring into  
the face of Tess Mercer.

"Hope you slept well."

Tess took a phone out of her pocket and dialed. "Hello, Oliver." Scoffing at his reply, she continued. "Actually, I'm more interested in one of your little friends.  
Bart Allen, I believe, is his name?" She smiled at Maria's stunned look. "I have someone here who would like to speak to him." Her beautiful face suddenly  
twisted in anger. "Put him on the phone, Oliver." Tess walked over to Maria and yanked the tape from her mouth, thrusting the phone to her ear in time for  
Maria to hear Bart's voice.

"Hello?"

"Bart?" Maria's voice was hoarse.

"Maria? Are you okay?"

Before she could answer, Tess pulled the tape back over her mouth and shoved her roughly to the floor. Even at a distance, Maria could hear the outrage  
in Bart's voice.

Tess spoke into the phone again. "I suppose I have your attention now?"

Oliver wrestled the phone away from Bart as Victor moved in to restrain him. "Tess, what the hell are you doing? That girl has nothing to do with this. Let her go!"  
Oliver had never met Maria, but Bart spoke of her often enough for Oliver to know what she meant to him.

"I'm just making things more interesting, Oliver. It's not fair for Davis and Clark to have all the fun."

Oliver's jaw clenched. "What do you want?"

"Tell Bart that if he wants to see his friend again, he'll bring me the device you stole from me. You know what I'm talking about, Oliver."

"And then, what?" Oliver asked. He knew exactly what device Tess was talking about; he had stolen it from her to assist Chloe/Brainiac in returning  
Clark and his cousin, Kara, from the Phantom Zone.

"Then he can have her back." Tess replied curtly. "You have five hours, Oliver. Bring it to the LuthorCorp warehouse on the outskirts of Metropolis. I trust you  
know where it is." She snapped the phone shut.

"Oliver! What the hell does your girlfriend want?" Bart shook off Victor's hold, breathing heavily.

"Tess wants us to return a machine in exchange for Maria." Oliver replied.

"Where is it?"

"We can't give her that machine, Bart! It's too much of a risk."

"Oliver, Maria has nothing to do with this! We can't just leave her there with Tess!"

"We're not going to leave your friend behind, Bart, but we can't allow that equipment to fall into the wrong hands!"

Their raised voices alerted Chloe, who approached Bart and gently placed a hand on his arm. "Bart, what happened to Maria?"

"Tess has her! She wants some machine back in exchange for Maria." Bart glared at Oliver. "But our fearless leader won't allow the exchange!"

"What machine?" Chloe looked at Oliver.

Oliver's handsome face was grim. "The one you used to return Clark from the Phantom Zone."

At once Chloe understood why Oliver would not bargain with Tess. It was simply too risky. Although Chloe was relatively certain that Clark had the crystal,  
it was possible Tess had discovered an alternate power source.

Bart paced, growing more agitated by the second. If Oliver wasn't willing to rescue Maria, he would do it alone. Instinctively, Oliver placed a restraining hand  
on Bart's shoulder.

"Bart, we will save Maria. But we cannot give Tess what she is asking for."

Oliver could see the pain in Bart's expression and he felt sympathy for the younger man, who was like a brother to him. Nonetheless, it was imperative that  
he convince Bart to trust his judgment and not take matters into his own hands.

"So what are we going to do? Show up empty handed?"

Oliver gave Bart a familiar grin. "Trust me."

-0-0-0

Lois looked down at her nephew's sleeping figure, thankful that James had remained asleep during their trip. Her mind was still reeling from Davis' mind game  
nightmare, and she hated feeling so vulnerable. She felt like Alice in Wonderland after discovering the identities of the Justice League members and the Red Blue Blur.  
The world was about to be destroyed by an alien experiment, and only Smallville could prevent that from happening! Lois didn't know what their chances of success  
were, but she wasn't about to allow a nightmare to scare her into submission. "Let that coward try to get back in my head," she thought grimly.

Suddenly, James whimpered in his sleep, his innocent face creased with worry. "Mama?"

James walked into a living room containing a gigantic clock made of glass. The afternoon sunlight left a trail of rainbow colors on the hardwood floor. He followed them  
to the huge window and looked out at the city below, certain that he had never visited this place before.

"James, come over here! We have something to show you!"

James turned and saw his father and mother standing in the doorway, smiling. Mama was holding something. He ran to his father, who scooped him up in his arms.

"Look who's home, buddy!" Jimmy whispered excitedly as James leaned toward Chloe, who unwrapped the blanket to give her son a better look at his new sibling.

"This is your little brother, Gabriel," Chloe said softly as she kissed James on the forehead. "You're a big brother now!" The baby yawned and stretched, his little fists  
reaching out toward James. Seeing his mother's encouraging smile, James reached out and brushed one of Gabe's tiny fists against his palm. Little Gabe opened his  
blue eyes and yawned again, his eyes settling on his big brother.

Chloe and Jimmy chuckled. "Why don't you help us settle your baby brother into his room?" Jimmy asked as he set James down. "You can help me unpack his things."

James nodded, but before he could move, his father's eyes grew dim and a trickle of blood spilled from his mouth. Chloe screamed as she quickly pushed James behind her.

The little boy watched in fear as the bad man yanked the metal pipe from his father's body and dropped it on the ground. Jimmy's body fell to the floor with a thud.

Chloe shuddered as Davis turned his attention to her. "Davis, please…"

The man named Davis smiled. He looked directly at James and little Gabe before returning to Chloe. "Did you really think I was going to let you go, Chloe?"

Davis' smile made James' legs shake. He clutched his mother for support. Chloe screamed as an invisible force pulled both children out of her grasp.

Davis held little Gabe in one arm and swung James in the other by the back of his shirt.

"Davis! Don't hurt my sons, please!"

Gabe started to cry and Davis looked at the newborn in amusement. "He looks like Jimmy. At least the other one looks like you."

"Davis, please, I beg of you! Don't hurt them!" Tears streamed down her face.

"What would you do, Chloe? What would you do to keep them safe?" Davis asked softly.

Chloe knew how this conversation would end. "Anything," she choked, whispering now. "I would do anything."

Davis' dark eyes flashed red. He suddenly released James and handed Gabe to him, bending over to look the little boy in the eye.

"Run."

In an instant, Davis had Chloe in his arms. Glass shattered as they flew through the giant clock.

"Mama!" James cried as he ran to wall where the clock had been and watched his mother and Davis disappear.

Lois frantically tried to awaken her nephew from his nightmare. "It's okay, Sweetie! It's okay! It's just a bad dream!"

James continued screaming for his mother, oblivious to Lois' efforts to arouse him. Lois ran to the door and yanked it open.

"CHLOE!"

Turning back to the room, she was surprised to see Clark cradling James on his lap. He was wearing his usual jeans and a red shirt.

"Shhhh, it's okay, James. It's okay."

Chloe burst through the doorway, followed closely by Oliver and the rest of the League members. She gathered her crying son in her arms.  
"I'm here, baby, I'm here. It's okay."

"He took you away, Mama! I don't want him to take you away!"

Chloe and Clark exchanged glances. "No one's going to take me away, honey."

Lois shook with fury as she realized what Davis had done to James. After fleeing the last safe house, she read the reports on the various Meta human abilities.  
Davis took a perverse pleasure in demonstrating his dream walking ability to her. Now that he'd terrorized her nephew…Lois wanted blood.

She was about to protest when Oliver ushered her and the JL members from the room, but reconsidered when she saw Chloe and Clark huddled over James,  
murmuring in soothing tones. The boy's eyelids were heavy and he looked as if he was about to drift off to sleep again. Oliver gently closed the door behind them.

Chloe looked at Clark, who was kneeling next to her, smoothing the hair on the back of James' head with a gentle hand.

"I was making my way back to the Fortress when I heard James." Clark said quietly. "I thought Davis had returned."

Chloe nodded. "What happened to you, Clark?"

"I have responsibilities. My father planned so many things for me, but I kept putting him off. After the events in Metropolis, I realized I'd made a mistake.  
I should have listened to him."

Chloe shook her head. "Clark, what happened that day was not your fault! You have spent your entire life helping people, saving people. You cannot save everyone,  
Clark. It doesn't mean that there's something wrong with you." She rose from her chair and laid James gently on the bed. "You have all of these abilities, Clark, but you  
aren't perfect. And you don't need to be."

Clark silently observed mother and son. .

"I need you to talk to Oliver, Chloe."

"If this is about letting you deal with this on your own, Clark, forget it! You know as well as I do that Davis has no weaknesses. We need to work together.  
We have to find a way to defeat him!"

"This is my fight, Chloe."

"It's not just your fight anymore, Clark! Somehow, Davis has the ability to dream walk. Oliver thinks he took the ability from one of the Meta humans  
kidnapped by LuthorCorp.

Clark's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean 'dream walk?'"

Chloe sighed. "Davis paid Lois a visit last night. He threatened her through her dreams. Basically, he warned us to stay away."

"Are you sure it wasn't just a nightmare?"

Chloe shook her head. "You don't get bruises from nightmares, Clark. Lois' neck is black and blue."

Clark nodded. "Davis is right about one thing, though…"

"No." Chloe interrupted. "Don't you get it, Clark? We are all a part of this. If Davis can Freddie Kruger his way into our dreams, we won't be  
safe even if we keep our distance."

The true horror of his enemy's abilities enraged Clark. Davis was a complete monster if he invaded the dreams of an innocent child.

"How is the League doing?"

Chloe laughed humorously. "We're alive. We're trying to figure out a way to defeat Davis. As if things weren't bad enough, Tess kidnapped Bart's friend.  
She says she'll release her if we return the machine we used to bring you and Kara back from the Phantom Zone."

"I still have my crystal. She can't use the machine without it."

Chloe shook her head. "We don't know that, Clark. For all we know, Tess may have found a substitute power source. We can't risk it."

"What about Bart's friend?"

"We won't leave her. We'll come up with a plan, but we cannot give Tess what she is asking for."

"And you?" Clark moved closer to Chloe.

"What about me?" Chloe asked softly.

"How are you?" Clark took Chloe's chin in his hand and gently lifted her face to his.

"I'm fine!" Chloe smiled up at him, but Clark was not fooled by her cheerful tone. He searched her beautiful green eyes for the truth.

"You're not fine, Chloe." Clark said softly. He could see the dark shadows under her eyes and feel the weariness that radiated from her in waves.  
Clark was worried about her; he knew that would never change. It was the reason why he had left her. His father wanted him far away from the people  
who made him human.

Chloe sighed as she forced herself away from the warmth of Clark's hand. She walked to the bed and tucked the blankets around James. Her son opened  
his eyes and spoke.

"I saw Daddy…"

Startled, Chloe glanced quickly at Clark. "What do you mean, honey?"

"Daddy was in my dream. I had a baby brother, Mama! There was a huge clock on the wall. We were happy, and then the bad man came…"

Chloe hugged James tightly, blinking back tears. "It's just a dream, baby. We won't let him hurt you."

James held on to Chloe and whispered, "I want Mr. Pumpkin."

Immediately, Clark was there, handing James a greenish-yellow monkey. Chloe looked up in surprise, but James took the doll gratefully and settled  
back into the pillows.

"You should get some rest, Chloe."

Chloe shook her head. "I can't. I need to help the others figure out how to help Maria. We don't have much time left."

"Leave that to us. We've got it all figured out!" Bart burst into the room with a huge smile on his face. "Cyborg just came up with a brilliant idea! He's going to  
make a replica of that machine Tess wants. Oliver still has the information you uploaded, so Victor doesn't think it will take more than an hour or two to complete.  
We can do it on the road. AC is staying behind in case Tess and her bandits decide to visit."

"Are you sure we have enough time?' Chloe frowned.

Bart shrugged. "I don't know, but we have a backup plan. We aren't counting on Tess giving up Maria, even if we were to give them the real thing, anyway."  
He gave Chloe a sly grin, waggling his brows. "I just wanted to say good bye, Chloelicious, and maybe get a good luck kiss!"

Chloe laughed as she held her arms open. She kissed him on the cheek and whispered, "You make sure Maria is safe, okay?"

"Will do, Watchtower!" Bart turned to Clark as if he had something to say, but thought better of it. He nodded at Clark before disappearing down the stairs.

Chloe shook her head. "They might need your help, Clark. We don't know what Tess wants with that machine. Whatever it is, it can't be good."

Clark weighed his options. He wanted to return to his training, but he knew that pound for pound, he and Davis would be on equal ground. However, Davis had  
an advantage that Clark did not: invulnerability to Kryptonite. Clark knew that Oliver and the others would not leave him alone to fight Davis. On the other hand,  
it was possible that Maria's kidnapping was simply a diversion to split up Oliver's group. AC could defend himself, but Clark doubted that Tess would only send one  
man to do her dirty work. Lois could defend herself, but she wouldn't be able to protect Chloe and James at the same time.

His eyes drifted to the ring on Chloe's finger. The weight of his failure to protect Chloe's happiness washed over him. He had allowed Davis to take Jimmy away from  
Chloe. He would not allow Davis to take away any more of Chloe's happiness.

"I'll go with them."

Chloe looked up in surprise at his words.

"I know all of you well enough to know that you won't leave Davis to me, no matter what I do or say. This way, I have a better chance of keeping my eye on all of you."  
Clark walked closer to her and leaned against the chest of drawers. "Get some rest, Chloe."

Chloe smiled. "Thank you, Clark."

Clark nodded. As he headed downstairs, he could hear Chloe softly singing James a lullaby.

The JL members were deep in conversation when Clark entered the room.

"How do you know this isn't some kind of diversion?"

"We don't." Oliver adjusted his Green Arrow suit. "Don't worry, Clark. We have it under control."

Bart, Victor, and AC looked uncomfortable. Dinah pretended to read the machine's blue prints.

"Would you consider a change of plans?"

The JL members looked up at him in surprise.

"I think I can help."

"I'm listening," Oliver replied.

"Bart and I can go. I doubt Tess will bring Davis with her tonight. If this is a diversion to split up the League, it might be dangerous to leave AC alone to  
protect Chloe, James, and Lois."

Oliver knew that Clark was right; leaving AC alone with the others was the best option they had, until now. "What made you change your mind?"

"I doubt that you and the others will stay out of this, no matter what I say." Clark replied. "This time, it's probably better if we're all on the same page."

Oliver knew that now was not the time to rehash what went wrong in the past. Maria's life was in danger, and Davis had to be defeated. "Let's start planning,  
then. We have less than four hours." He handed Clark the satellite pictures of the surrounding area, along with the blueprints of the LuthorCorp factory.

Bart inhaled deeply as he listened to Oliver discuss their new plan. "Hold on, Maria. I'm coming. I promise I won't let anything happen to you."

End Chapter

Once again, thanks for reading please comment and let me know what you guys think, and first post to get the name of my beta gets a sneak peak of the next chapter!


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